Stay
by dragonfly76
Summary: Ten years have passed. It was inevitable that their paths would cross again. Life had mellowed for them both. Childhood friends who had suffered, laughed, fought and cried together, finally find room in their hearts for forgiveness and love. Like clouds of pink cotton candy, memories blow on the wind, sweetened with time. Perhaps, this time when he asks, Bella will finally stay.
1. Chapter 1

_**First things first. This is a B/J ship. If you don't like Bella, or Jacob, don't read it. Simple as that. Second, I don't write much these days, so I am on my own here folks. Rusty, no beta, no pre-reader. Third. There is no posting schedule. Some chapters are done and will come fast, others will wait. I am writing for fun and to stretch my mind, and fingers again. I do this when I have time. Time is the keyword here.**_

 _ **So, to all my old and new readers, Welcome! This is just a fluffy bit of fun. Not much in this fic for tears or angst, only a cup or two. There will be, quite literally, fluffy bits of pink cotton candy clouds and fluff.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

Chapter 1: Deluge of Beer

" _You sent him an invitation?" I stared at Edward in disbelief. Nothing had been sent out ... yet. Stacks of pristine white cards sat in their envelopes on the desk, half of them addressed, each carefully penned in Esme's beautiful hand, waiting to stamped and delivered in next week's mail. "How could you?" I asked._

" _Why does it matter?" Edward asked, sounding indifferent to the situation. "I thought he should have a choice. You of all people ought to understand."_

" _A choice? Are you serious?" Anger filled me. For the first time in my life, I understood the meaning of seeing red. It didn't matter that I had planned to invite the Black's wedding anyway. What mattered was that it was my place to do it. It was my choice to make, not Edward's to give. The Black's were family. My family to put a fine point on it. Blood didn't matter._

 _I'd already caused the pack enough trouble. I wanted to handle it my own way. To hand carry an invitation to Billy and let him decide what to do. Instead, Edward had gone behind my back and now had the nerve to stand there looking passively smug._

" _You already won me. We're getting married. Don't you think it's time for these childish games to stop?"_

 _Edward was still, with only the hint of a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. It was then I fully comprehended how cruel a the nature of a vampire could be._

" _You won't be mine until after we're married. Not until after I've changed you."_

 _Then he walked away, hands in his pockets, whistling a tune as though he didn't have a care in the world. All I could do was sit there, stunned and angry. My heart ached for Jacob, and the misery I'd inadvertently caused. It seemed to be all my wedding was doing, causing pain all over the place. It had become the cause of my own._

 _The invitation debacle was the beginning of the end, but in truth, my relationship with Edward was already over. It had been ever since Jacob kissed me on the mountaintop._

 _-Bella August, 2006_

 **oooOOOooo**

Rain came down in buckets, causing the worn out wipers to work overtime across the windshield. There hadn't been a town for an over an hour; not a single sign of life anywhere. The needle on the gas gauge had been flirting with empty for the last twenty miles.

Only a birthday party for her father could have induced Bella Swan into driving back to Washington, and the nightmares it contained. Now, caught somewhere in the far western reaches of Montana, she wondered if it was really worth it.

It had been years since she'd last visited to Forks. Years she'd needed in order to grow, change and forget. Her hometown held too many ghosts, and not just metaphorically. Bella was more than familiar with the real monsters that go bump in the night-they were intimately acquainted. A cold, half-moon shaped scar decorating her wrist served as a daily, painful reminder of the not-so-distant past wherein magic of the supernatural held her life hostage.

"Damn it!" Rain lashed down angrily in heavy sheets. The winding highway had turned into a country road, and for miles there was nothing. Not a single sign of life anywhere, or so much as a road marker to tell where you were.

" _Almighty father above, please, send me a sign, a smoke signal, an angel-anything to know I'm not going to die on some godforsaken piece of asphalt in the the middle of nowhere! I promise, I'll be good. I'll quit smoking and guzzling coffee. No more weekly drinks with Tia. Just please, please, please! Let there be a service station soon!"_

Thunder rolled and boomed overhead, as though God were banging the gavel of judgement. Quite suddenly, a crack of lightning tore across the sky, tearing open the blackness in one wide, fiery finger to point the way. It lasted only moments, but long enough for Bella to see the shadowy outline of a town ahead.

 _A mile, maybe a little more_ , she thought, just as the needle wavered and dipped far below the empty marker, settling itself well beyond the orange no-man's land on the gauge. The town was so small it wasn't registering on the GPS, and with only a drop or two left in the tank, pulling over to check wasn't an option. Somewhere in the back of her head, her father's training kicked in, and the sound of his voice whispered in her ear. _'Drive for mileage. Take your foot off the gas when you go downhill, let it coast. Drop your speed a little. You'll get there five minutes late instead of being stranded on the side of the road.'_

The Jeep was running on fumes when Bella crossed over the city limits, and the engine spluttered, giving a final wheeze as she turned into a dimly lit gas station. Blue Neon lit the window. 'E&D's Full Service & Repair'. The glow was just enough to cast light on a closed sign hanging on the door.

"Shit," Bella muttered, rubbing her hands over her face in frustration. "Great. Now what am I supposed to do?" As if God decided to answer, another bolt of lightning tore up the sky, illuminating a building across the street. Pabst and Old Style signs blinked in the windows, and in the parking lot was a couple of cars and one lone truck.

It was the truck which caught her attention. An old rusty red Chevy, much like the one Charlie had bought from Billy when she'd first moved back to Forks.

Faded memories of warm soda, the scent of peppermint and stale tobacco invaded her senses, sending a wave of calm across her heart. That old truck had been a talisman both literally and figuratively. The truck was one of the few places she'd always felt safe. A big old hunk of steel strong enough to take down a stitka spruce, ferry her safely back and forth from Forks to LaPush, and into all encompassing peace of Jacob Black's makeshift garage. Bella took it as a sign.

 _Somewhere inside that bar, there's help-or at least, maybe a can of gas._

Pulling her jacket over her head, Bella left the relative comfort of the Jeep to sprint across the street. She ran like the devil was chasing her, never pausing to consider that maybe he was. That part of her life was over, and she wasn't looking back. Fear didn't rule her these days, and now the crack of thunder was only that-nature's way of refreshing the earth-instead of reason for vampires to play-or hunt.

Twenty-seven years old and the same clumsiness that mapped her body with bruises as a youth reared its ugly head when she slipped, toppling sideways enough for the cell phone in her coat pocket to slip out, straight into a puddle.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!", she swore, pausing mid-stride to fish the soggy mess out of the water.

Soaked to the skin, and cold, Bella tore at the heavy door handle, thankful for the warmth when she stepped inside, along with the fact that it was still open. Trickles of water dripped from her hair, coursing down her back in tiny streams, carving their way into rivers across her skin, flowing down her arms, and into the cleavage of the tank top she wore. Bella had forgotten how icy the rain could be this far west. It was only the start of autumn, but the deeper she'd gotten into Montana, the cooler the air had become. The streets of Chicago had still been holding tight to summer when she locked up her apartment the day before. It was a balmy eighty-degrees that morning, warm enough to sip coffee on the balcony while watching joggers along the lakeshore.

 _I definitely didn't pack for the weather_ , she thought, knowing she'd have to stop somewhere in Port Angeles to pick up a few sweaters and an extra pair of jeans. Taking one step forward, the socks on her feet squished inside her shoes. _Probably need some galoshes too._

Bella scanned the room without really taking in her surroundings. What she needed right now was a phone, or the bartender, whichever she could spot first. A couple of middle-aged men hovered around a green-felted pool table, and another sat at the long, black lacquered bar directly in front of her. The one at the bar glanced in her direction, tearing his eyes away from the flat screen mounted on the wall.

"Need some help, young lady?"

"Is there a payphone?" she asked, wondering if that was even possible in an age where everyone carried smartphones in their back pockets.

The man craned his neck, gesturing to a hallway just past the pool tables, with the word 'Restrooms' burned into a plank of wood hanging above it.

"Thanks," she tossed, squishing across the floor. She paused for a moment at the opening, eyes darting to the old silver and black phone hanging on the wall. The ladies room was just to the left of it. Feeling another drip slide down her back, she pushed open the door, hoping there was more than some dirty old towel on a roller to dry off with.

It wasn't much, just another bathroom, but it was neat and clean, with a roll of paper towels hanging next to the sink. Bella thanked her lucky stars, and stripped off her coat, tossing it over the hook on the door. Glimpsing herself in the mirror, she was shocked to see her bedraggled state. "I look like a circa eighties rock star, complete with bad hair," she noted, talking to herself, quickly scrubbing what was left of black eyeliner from her lashes.

By the time she'd finished, it felt like she'd wrung a gallon of water out of her hair and shirt. Bella hated to put it back on, but at least she was a little drier than when she'd started, not to mention neater. She debated on whether or not to put on some fresh mascara, knowing that in all likelihood she'd end up back out in the rain, with another couple of black eyes from it. Then again, she was going to have to sit in a strange bar, waiting only god knew how long for help. _Might as well look halfway decent._

Armed with a handful of change she'd dug from the bottom of her purse, Bella marched out of the bathroom, hoping it was enough to make a call. It only took a minute to search the wrinkled yellow pages for a service station. There were only two in town, and one of them already had her Jeep parked in front of it.

The old man that had been perched at the bar brushed past her shoulder, and like the daughter of any good cop (or a girl who'd been chased by vampires too long), Bella watched him breeze a step past her, to stand at another door, cracked open at the end of the hallway. "Need any help down there?" he shouted.

"Nope, I got it," someone yelled back. Through the sliver of an opening, she could just make out a staircase.

"Went down there to get more beer ten minutes ago," the old man grumbled, as if doing so would make whoever was in the basement move faster. "Startin' to think he got lost."

With the receiver cradled on her shoulder, Bella dumped the quarters, nickels and dimes in the slot. She couldn't help but laugh, thinking about what Charlie would say to all this. First he'd talk about the good old days before everyone had a cell, and then he'd remind her how useless they were as soon as you dropped them or the battery died. After that, he'd reminisce about the days when making a call only cost a dime. For a second, Bella debated on calling her father collect, just so he'd get the thrill of having a good old fashioned laugh. Of course, he'd probably have the local sheriff on the line in a matter of minutes, the gas station opened and the oil on the Jeep checked. It would also ruin the surprise party his fishing buddies were throwing in honor of his fiftieth birthday.

Whatever thoughts she had of calling Charlie or either service station were short lived thanks to a violent crack of thunder outside. Electricity shot through the phone, causing Bella to scream in terror, and drop the receiver from her tingling hand. In that same moment, the lights flickered, then went out, plunging the entire bar into pitch black.

A footfall sounded behind her, and Bella whirled, arms covering her face to fend off who was in the hallway with her only to smack into something hard and heavy. The sound of a body and breaking glass hit the floor, and from somewhere in the building, the whir of a generator kicking in echoed off the walls.

When the lights came back on, Bella was on the floor, surrounded by broken bottles in a puddle of beer. In that second she knew, the lone attacker-or so she'd imagined-was nothing more than a bartender who had been busy pulling stock from the basement.

"Shit! Shit!" she cried, scrambling backward out of the foam. "I'm so sorry! It's all my fault-"

"Bells?"

At the sound of his voice, all the air left her lungs. It had been almost ten years since she'd last heard that name pass from his lips. Ten long years in which she'd wondered and dreamed about the boy who'd been her protector, her best friend. Bella closed her eyes and remembered.

When she opened them, a flood of warmth washed over her soul. Kneeling in front of her, knees drenched in beer, he stared back at her through the same big brown eyes she remembered so well. Eyes that told the story of a lifetime's worth of unwavering devotion, love and friendship.

Eyes full of amusement, dancing with laughter when a smile wider than the Grand Canyon spread across his lips. "Still clumsy I see."

"Jake, is it really you?"

"Yeah, it's me, Bells."

Without hesitation, she leapt forward, heedless of broken glass or dirty floors, to find herself enveloped in the strong arms of the one person who had sheltered her since youth. Except this time, it was she who initiated it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you! Thank you all who have dropped reviews and PM's! It's so good to hear from my old friends and readers. Each note has been like warm hug. A couple of you asked if this is a re-post or if it was a one shot. I had posted two chapters of this to Tricky Raven, but never got around to adding more. Some of you may have read the first two chapters, so be patient, more is coming. This will be mid length story for me. Somewhere around 25 chapters, I think. Considering I cannot seem to write a chapter under 2000 words, it will will be somewhat long, just not the 50-70 chapter full lengthers you have seen from me in the past.**

 **Those of you who previously read Firefly may recognize the name of the town in this story. I loved working on Firefly, and when the idea for this story came to me, it seemed like a fitting background.**

 **For my old TR friends, I want you to know that in the last two months, both MP and Mist were here for visits with me. You all are not forgotten. We miss you, and are as hard as it was to say goodbye, we are so happy that the site closed the way it opened; a place where you felt positive, welcome and creative.**

Chapter 2: Divine Intervention

 _I was soaked to the skin and Edward didn't even seem to notice-or perhaps he didn't really care. Maybe he thought it was some sort of exacting punishment for going out in the rain like a fool or maybe he was trying to prove a point. Honestly I wasn't sure. Although I'd gotten pretty indifferent to most of his behaviors, finding him stretched out on my bed six nights a week had begun to irritate me._

" _You better hope Charlie never catches you up here," I snapped, marching straight to the dresser to pull out some warm, dry clothes._

" _I'm faster and smarter than you father, not that it matters. We're engaged to be married, love. Soon enough, you'll be in my bed forever."_

 _No, I realized. My father would have bigger things to worry about. Like where the hell his daughter had run off to and why I won't have time to visit him or Renee any more. I was starting to get a little more clarity on what this marriage thing was going to be about ... for the rest of my unnatural existence._

" _Is there something you wanted, Edward? I'm tired, and chilled to the bone." I hoped that he'd answer and get off my bed-out of my room completely. If he did, then maybe by the time I got out of the shower, some of the cold he was imparting into my quilts and sheets would have dissipated._

" _I don't like you going out to the reservation anymore. It has to stop. You come back smelling like a wet dog."_

" _Then maybe you shouldn't see me after I come back. Maybe you shouldn't be in my room waiting as if you're my father. The last time I checked, your name isn't Swan. You don't live here, Edward, and I'm sure Charlie never gave you a key." I was being pretty pointed. The fact was, my dad had given Jacob a key, and Edward knew it._

 _I waited for him to say something more, but he didn't. Instead he laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling, counting the pieces of popcorn buried in the plaster. So, I stood there, puddling in my own bedroom, having a standoff with a vampire. It was ridiculous. I was over it and ready to play dirty._

 _First it was the shoes. No big deal. Take them off. Then the sweatshirt. Gone. Layers of soaking wet clothes heaped in a pile on the floor. By the time I was down to a tank top, Edward had started to fidget. As if the straps from my bra would corrupt his delicate sensibilities. It was the zipper that did it. The second I unbuttoned my pants and started moving that piece of metal, he sat straight up, wearing this shocked and disturbed look on his face._

" _What are you doing?" he asked._

" _Getting undressed. I need to take a shower."_

 _Within seconds, he was out the window, and a few more seconds later, I'd slammed it shut and jerked the curtains closed. More than likely, he'd be out there watching, and listening. Probably worried I'd fall out of bed and break an arm or something. I thought about taking a hammer and nails to the sill, but all it would get me was a broken window if something did happen._

 _Every muscle in my body ached from stress. This wedding nonsense had gotten out of hand. It brought out a monster in Edward. One I despised. I didn't know if I was seeing things more clearly now, or if I'd been blind before. One thing was certain, I wasn't happy and I knew things couldn't go on like this. I didn't feel loved. All I felt was useless. Nothing that was being done was for me. Just one big show, like a big top circus. Alice was the ringmaster, and I was an animal, brought out for entertainment and shoved back into a cage when the spectators went home. I had no freedom anymore._

 _The spray of the shower felt like warm rain washing down on my body, penetrating deep, melting the ice around my heart like a warm hug. It reminded me so much of Jacob. The miles I'd paced through the forest on the reservation had been fruitless. Seth guarded me as if I were his own, but looked at me with sad eyes. Jacob wasn't talking. He wasn't coming home. He'd given over to the wolf, and with that realization, I knew, I'd broken a promise. I let him lose himself. I didn't tell him how special he was._

 _I'd let Edward break him._

 _I'd broken his heart._

 _I wondered if the jagged pieces matched my own._

 _Bella, September 2006_

 **oooOOOooo**

Bells. Nobody called her that anymore, not even Charlie. If someone tried, Bella was quick to correct them. It had always been Jacob's name for her. Deep in the furthest reaches of her memory, she could still hear a tiny, one-year-old voice, lisping and sweet, shouting from across the beach. 'Bells! Play with me!'

Ten years had passed since she'd last heard it, and now, wrapped up Jacob's arms, Bella understood. Jacob had bestowed it with as much love and affection as only an innocent child could muster. To hear it again, brought back a flood of warmth and safety. For the first time in many years, Isabella Swan was in the arms of someone who knew all of her secrets, saw all of her flaws, and cared for her despite them. Together, Jake and Bells had a storied history.

Amid a mess of broken bottles, in a puddle of suds, Bella Swan remembered what home felt like.

"I can't believe it's you," he whispered, breathing deep to find that old familiar scent of strawberries and sun which always clung faintly to her skin. With each passing second, he held her tighter, running his hands over the familiar curves of her back, feeling each change the passage of time had made to her body. Then, just once, he pressed her even more tightly, pulling her closer in order to feel what he could no longer hear. A heartbeat.

"Still human, Jake. I promise."

Contentment settled deep inside, easing some of the shadowy ache which haunted him for years.

Another crack of lightning and roll of thunder shook the building, releasing them from the moment. Yet Jacob couldn't help the way he needed to touch her. Bella had always been a part of his journey. It was only natural that when his hands cradled the lines of her face, she leaned into his touch, a eyes fluttering closed, a dreamy smile painted on berry stained lips. There was thankfulness in them both for pieces of the divine intervention that had brought them together again.

"You're soaked to the skin," he noticed, feeling the slight shiver rolling over her body. "Come on, let's get a dry towel for your hair, and a cup of coffee. You look like you could use something warm."

"What's the big smile for?" she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from him. Jacob Black was grinning ear to ear, showing off the same megawatt smile he'd owned from birth. It was infectious and Bella found herself smiling back.

"Just glad to see you, Bells. It's been a long time."

"Too long, Jake. Way too long."

Grasping her hand, Jacob led her back out into the bar, settling her into a stool. "Wait here. I'll be back in a minute," he told her, disappearing through another doorway. Bella fished the cell out of her pocket, and was trying to turn it on again to no avail when he reappeared in front of her with a clean bar rag in one hand and a steaming mug in the other.

"I don't think you're gonna get that to work, Bells," he told her, seeing water leak out of the sides of the case. "It's toast."

"You're probably right," she agreed, reluctantly tossing into her purse, hating how her life was tied up in a smartphone. "Signal was lousy anyway. I'll have to take it apart and hope it dries out."

"Thank you," she stated, accepting the towel and coffee gratefully. Bella didn't even know how cold she was until her fingers wrapped around the ceramic. The heat felt like a godsend. Liquid heat warmed her from the inside out. "Oh, this is good."

Cracking open a beer, Jacob settled into the stool next to her. "So, not that I'm not glad to see you, but what happened? How did you end up here, of all places?"

"I ran out of gas and the service station was closed. This was the only place nearby that looked open. I'd to use the payphone to call for help, but it looks like the storm took care of that."

"Then it's a good thing you ended up in my bar."

"Your bar?" Shock registered on Bella's face and suddenly, she looked around again, actually taking it in all in. Walls of warm honey, beautifully carved statues of bears, wolves and ravens perched on open rafters, watching over the patrons. It was all so very Jacob.

"Yup, I own the place."

"I heard you were living in Montana, but... well, 'of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world', she quoted, feeling very Ingrid Berman, half expecting to hear 'Time Goes By', start playing in the background.

"'She walks into mine'", he finished "It's a good thing, Bells. It's a real good thing." Unexpected, yes. Inevitable though. Their paths were bound to cross again sooner or later.

An awkward sort of silence passed between them. Not painfully so, but neither could say all the things they wanted to right now. A million questions passed between their eyes, demanding answers they couldn't give just yet.

"So, I'm guessin' you're on your way to Forks for Charlie's big fiftieth birthday bash?" Jacob cocked an eyebrow, smiling again. "It would have been easier to fly, you know."

She shuddered, feeling like a goose had just walked over her grave. "Flying scares me. I've always hated it."

The rain pouring outside was loud on the roof, still lashing angrily at the windows. Jacob leaned in close, then whispered quietly in her ear. "Says the girl who ran with werewolves and vampires."

"Not anymore."

Jacob cocked one eyebrow. "Never?"

"Alice calls once in awhile to let me know I'm safe. The last time I heard from her was over a year ago. I think that world has finally forgotten about me."

"Happy to hear it."

The sound of rain on the roof diminished. "Looks like the storm's letting up," Jake announced, loudly. "No last call tonight, boys. I wanna close up and get outta here before round two kicks in. As the saying goes, you don't gotta go home, but you can't stay here."

It dawned on Bella that she had no place to go, and with the phone out, she still hadn't made a call. "Jake, I hate to ask, but is there a motel somewhere you could drop me off at?"

"Nope. Nothing for another twenty miles. You're crashing with me tonight."

"Ten years later and you're still saving my neck."

"I'm not one to turn out a pretty lady. Besides, this town pulls in the welcome mat after eight o'clock. If you wanna leave in the morning, I'll put in a call to E&D. The owner's a friend, and he'll open up early, but truthfully, I'm hoping you'll be too tired. I plan to keep you up all night."

"Oh really?" Bella laughed at the innuendo and mischievous look coloring Jacob's face. "I see you've gotten better at flirting since my departure."

"Me? Flirting? Little ol' me?" Jacob feigned innocence but it wasn't fooling anybody. "I haven't seen my best friend in almost a decade. I'd say we've got some catching up to do."

"Then it's a good thing I've got a few extra days. I'll be able to sleep in tomorrow."

The handful of men who'd been there when Bella came in walked by, saying goodnight. When the last one had gone through the door, Jake stood.

"Let me shut a few things off, lock up the back, and we can get out of here."

"But, what about the mess?" she asked, remembering the puddle of beer and broken glass in the hallway. Jacob waved it off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm closed tomorrow and the cleaning guy comes in. No big deal."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "If you'll give me a mop-"

"I'm sure."

"Okay," she agreed, defeated. Then as if a light bulb went on over her head, Bella's face brightened significantly. "Can I ask you one question first?"

"As long as it involves a short answer," Jacob replied, hitting a switch and plunging the bar into darkness except for the soft glow of security lights.. "We really need to go before this kicks up again."

"Is that my old truck parked outside?"

Jacob smiled, pulling a set of keys from a hook on the wall, dangling a lucky rabbit foot, worn down on one side from worry.

My own personal version of prayer beads, she thought, remembering how the fur felt beneath her fingertips. The last time she saw her truck it was a rusty statue on the curb. Silent understanding passed between them both when her eyes met his.

"Never give up on something because it's a little broken, Bells. You taught me that."

 _ **Thanks for reading.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Apologies. This is by far, way too long of a chapter. I just couldn't seem to get it cut down. Hopefully you won't all be yawning halfway through.**_

Chapter 3: Lost and Found

" _Bella, hello! Earth to Isabella Swan!"_

 _It wasn't until she plucked at my elbow that I heard Alice. I was a million miles away, just like Jacob. It was hard not to think about him. Jacob Black consumed my every waking thought._

" _Sorry," I apologized. "I don't suppose we could do this another time?" The gown I was wearing felt like it weighed fifty pounds. I couldn't understand why we couldn't have just gotten one that fit. Alice talked about 'off the rack' like it was some sort of cardinal sin against fashion. To be mean, I'd already decided to wear my oldest, most beat up pair of chucks instead of the ice-picks she'd chosen. At least the chucks would be comfortable and I wouldn't trip walking down the aisle. Well, maybe. That was gonna be a crapshoot no matter how you sliced it._

" _I know you're worried, Bella, but Jacob Black can take care of himself."_

 _It's like she didn't even hear my question. I didn't want to here, getting fitted for a dress I hated. All this fancy crap was just for show anyway. Nobody bothered to ask my opinion. The closer we got to this debacle, the more I wanted to call the whole thing off. Who gets married at eighteen, anyway?_

 _Alice didn't know how I felt. Couldn't know. She remembered nothing of her human life. Apparently empathy didn't exist with vampires. I was starting to think that none of them cared, with the exception of Esme, maybe. At least she'd been reluctant about mailing out the invitations, which was more than I could say for Alice. Everything was full steam ahead, as if we were all supposed to fall in line and salute the captain running the ship._

" _Yes, Isabella. The mutt can take care of himself. All this incessant worrying, this, this ... fixation you see to have is unhealthy."_

" _Unhealthy? My best friend is lost, Edward. I've been trying to reach out. To bring him home, get him to come back to the people who love him. Jacob Black is my family."_

" _Perhaps it would be best if he never returned. At the very least he should stay gone until our wedding."_

 _Perhaps it would have been best if you'd never returned, I thought to myself._

 _Bella, September 2006_

 **oooOOOooo**

The creak of rusty springs made Bella smile as she slid across the wide of bench seat of the old Chevy, its scratchy fabric caressful, as if it were an old friend. The faint perfume of of tobacco and peppermint still clung to the interior, and maybe, if one breathed deeply enough, the salt spray of the Pacific and sharpness of spruce.

As Jacob cranked the ignition, a dozen things ran through Bella's mind, the least of which being delayed on the journey to Forks. It felt like a firework shot off inside her body. Questions, feelings, an overwhelming desire to grab Jacob Black's hand and never let go. Ten long years had passed and all of a sudden, the one thing she'd wanted more than anything in the world was right next to her. It was like Christmas, New Year, and a birthday, all wrapped into one.

Casually tossing an arm across the seat back as invitation, a smile wider than the ocean lit up Jacob's face. "Come on, you know you wanna."

Just as it had happened a hundred times before, she slid across the creaking bench, curling into Jacob's side. Everything about the gesture exuded warmth, comfort and home. _This is what contentment feels like_ , she thought.

It was a moment which ended too soon, stopping before a simple two story house. A single light illuminated its stoop, casting a warm glow over faded blue concrete.

Round two was kicking in fast and hard, and a wind strong enough to scuttle a ship all but blew them across the threshold with one breath. Bella found she had never been quite so grateful for shelter as she was this night. Yet, standing in the entryway practically shoulder to shoulder with her ex-best friend/almost boyfriend/man she'd once loved, was unsteadying.

Exacerbating the situation were the rivulets of water still dripping from her soggy jeans, creating puddles on the floor. Her cleaning OCD kicked into overdrive. In that moment, if Bella could have chosen, she would have either melted into one of those puddles, or gotten three simple things-a mop, towel, and space.

Jacob, who noticed everything, didn't miss the nervousness, or the way one rubber toe of her sneakers was digging into the tile. "It's okay," he reassured by way of words, as well as kicking off his muddy own shoes carelessly. "I'm gonna light a fire just in case we lose power. This storm's a real gully washer. The bathroom is down the hall on the left if you wanna freshen up. Feel free to use the shower."

"Is that your way of saying I look like shit?" Bella half-joked, elbowing him in the ribs. In all honesty, she knew she looked like crap. If she'd had to choose a way to run into him again-or any member of the pack for that matter-exhausted from a cross country trip and drenched was certainly not it, and neither was being the damsel in distress, again.

"Nah," he told her, "Just that you've been driving all day and got caught in the rain. I'm betting you could do with a hot one." Then, as an afterthought, Jacob embraced her in quick, tight hug, if for no other reason than to prove whatever discomfort she felt about being half wet and a mess didn't matter one iota. "Go ahead," he encouraged. "I'll get out some fresh towels and dig up something that'll fit you. All my stuff will be big, but that's nothing new."

"No, I suppose not," she agreed, recalling countless times when Jacob Black had lent her clothes-some of which never found their way back to their teenage owner. Blushing, she wondered what Jake would say if he knew, that in this very moment, her suitcase housed a threadbare Led Zeppelin t-shirt belonging to him, and on most nights, was worn to bed accompanied only by a skimpy bit of silky panties.

The thought made Bella blush.

"Bells? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Um, thanks," she said, squinching up her eyes, feeling a rosy stain creep over her chest. "I'll take you up on the offer. A steamy, hot shower sounds amazing." _Oh my God_. _Why did I say that? Foot. Mouth. Me. Oh my God_.

If the word vomit wasn't bad enough, the expression on Jake's face was worse. A cross between a smirk and arrogance. He just stood there, looking all ... Jacob-y. Hot, sexy, exuding an obscene amount of confidence.

"Ss..sorry! That didn't come right! Not like you're showering with me." _Shit!_ More word vomit. It was like she couldn't even help it. Contemplating how quickly she could sprint with wet socks over hardwood floors, Bella made for the bathroom. "Yeah, I'm just going to go now before I manage to make a bad seventies porn reference." With that in mind, Isabella Swan marched down the hallway, chin up, shoulders back, as though she were walking the red carpet.

Black and white chucks, squeaking all the way.

 **oooOOOooo**

Not two hours ago, Jacob had been thinking of her. Not that there was anything unusual in that. Hardly a day passed when something or another didn't remind him of her. Over the years, it had been the smallest things. The noise of a old muffler, the smell of fried chicken wafting from the diner, or ripe strawberries at the farm stand. Then, there were the big things, like the old Chevy. It was a rare occasion that he drove it anymore, but tonight, it practically begged him to climb inside. Each time he slid behind the wheel, his latent wolf senses could pick up faint scents of home, Billy Black and Bella Swan.

Maybe it was an omen of some kind, Jacob didn't know. Prophetic significance or not, what mattered most is the one girl he'd had a crush on in his entire life, was at this moment, in his house, still human, and naked in the shower to boot. If ever in the six years since he'd last phased that Jacob felt like bursting out of his skin, it was now. No bloodsuckers required.

The wolf had been stirring since that first encounter. It wanted this woman. Any of the pack who had questioned the level of devotion that not just Jacob felt, but also the spirit warrior residing in his soul, this surely would have put all doubts to rest.

 _Pull it together_ , he chided himself. _Bells is here. Change your clothes, start a fire, make some coffee. She's not going anywhere._ And so, he breathed deeply, centering the wolf who was waking from a long slumber. _Not this time,_ it added as an afterthought. _We won't let her._

 **oooOOOooo**

Jacob was bent over the hearth when Bella entered the room. From the doorway, she watched the slow rush of flames lick the logs. One by one, first slow, then climbing higher and faster until the wood ignited in one wild burst of orange and blue, casting deep shadows against walls painted color of crushed shells on far off sandy shores. Presiding over a sea of fire, against a backdrop of Rocky Mountain Stone, hung a painting of the pacific sunset, its warmth melting into the black sands of Rialto. Beneath it, scattered across a mantel whose wood had been bleached by ocean waves, stood several faded photographs, each one worn, bent along the edges, and lovingly framed.

Faces of the past jumped out at Bella like paintings in a book. An image of Sarah Black, snapped when she thought nobody was looking. A pretty, demure smile played on her rosy lips while the long, dark tresses of her hair blew in the ocean wind. Pictures of Billy and Jacob as a child. A proud father watching while his son brandished a greasy wrench in his pudgy, little hand. There were pictures of his sisters, wearing pigtails and braids, each of their identical faces full of mischief and laughter. Newer, but still old were the photographs of the pack. Straight and strong in both bearing and countenance, smiling proudly for the camera, set against a backdrop of towering spruce.

Next to a tribal mask, carved in image of a wolf, Billy Black smiled out in welcome, drawing her in and transporting her back to quiet evenings steeped in magic, filled with bonfires and legend. Bella longed to be a part of it all again; to feel the ancient power which fairly vibrated in the air, to smell the wildness of the ocean and see the vast, starlit sky.

In a tiny Montana town, Jacob Black had created a small island of home.

"It's creepy to stand there watching people, Bells." He'd known she was there, looking over everything in the room, but didn't quite have it in him to face her yet. Part of him felt like a teenager again, and worried this was all just a dream. It was funny, the way courage worked. Jacob had faced bloodthirsty vampires without fear. Without hesitation, he'd pulled up stakes and started a new life where he was nobody to anyone. Yet, from the very minute Bella Swan moved back to Forks with her father, one look from her had the power to make him weak in the knees.

It took all the courage he had to turn around. When he did, the sight of her took his breath away. Jacob's eyes trailed over her body, taking in tiny painted toes, bare legs, and damp hair curling at its ends. The button down shirt he'd laid out fitted like a dress, oversize and slightly too short for decency. It was amazing how after all these years, the sight of her wearing his things still evoked a sense of possession in him. The wolf stretched, then curled up in contentment. .

"Have a seat, make yourself at home," he offered, motioning toward the sofa. "I'll be right back." It only took about thirty seconds, but Jacob returned with cans of soda, handing one to Bella, who'd curled up in chair beside the fire.

"Just like old times." Memories of warm soda and upturned crates slid across her mind. All of it seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Almost. Better even. Now they're cold," he winked boyishly, settling himself across from her. The whole scenario felt so teenagerish, and yet here they both were, twenty-somethings with entire lives neither had any knowledge about-and Jacob wanted to know. He wanted to know everything about her now. Oh, there were plenty of things he could easily discern, because he did know Bella Swan, instinctively at least. Jacob knew this girl at the core. Values like respect, family and loyalty, all things Charlie had instilled within his daughter since birth, those were still present.

Bella had one of those personalities that would never fully change; emotions readable in the eyes, body language speaking volumes of nervousness or timidity, exuberant joy or utter relaxation. The way she sat across from him now, legs tucked up in the chair, leaning toward the fire, wearing a soft smile, communicated contentedness. Yes, Jacob knew Bella, but it was the little big things he'd missed over the past decade that bothered him. The events and stories of years which he'd not been a part of. Jacob yearned to know it all, at the same time feeling slightly jealous he'd missed it. It was an ugly jealousy for which he had no-one and nothing to blame but his own miserable regret.

"So where've you been living, Bells? Last I heard you'd moved to Florida. These days, when I call dad, all I hear about is tribal doings, and the whoppers he and Charlie catch out on the lake. Never anything about you." What he wasn't saying is that Billy always avoided the subject of Bella Swan. Like he was dodging a bullet anytime Jacob asked.

"Chicago," she supplied, filling in the gap. "I stayed in Florida for a couple of years after finishing college, then took a job offer doing journalistic photography, and picked up some classes at the Institute. I worked at the Tribune for a while, but it wasn't for me. Now I do mostly freelance stuff, a few family shoots as favors for friends, weddings, anniversaries, that kind of thing. It keeps me afloat." Bella shrugged, somewhat surprised the pack never eavesdropped on Charlie in order to keep track of any danger the Cullen's might bring back to Washington. "My life is pretty ordinary. What about you? How did you end up in ... wait, come to think of it, I don't even know where I am."

Jacob spread his arms wider than a tv game host, introducing the town as though it were part of the next 'Showcase Showdown'. "Welcome to Pigeon Creek, Montana! No claims to fame, no big city newspaper, and no supernaturals of any kind-well, mostly, I suppose."

"Mostly?" she asked, clutching at her chest in mock fear, but in truth, talking about this stuff with someone in the know for the first time in a decade was making the fine hairs along the back of her neck stand on end. The raging storm outside wasn't helping matters much either. Every time a bolt of lightning struck, Bella half expected to see a ghostly white face appear in the window, ready to attack.

"Does a retired werewolf count?"

"You don't phase anymore?" Bella's eyes widened in both interest and shock. The wolf had been consuming, and even though Jake never seemed to like the hand fate had dealt, she never imagined a time when it wouldn't be a part of him.

"Nope. Gave it up in exchange for a different life."

If she hadn't already been seated, the nonchalant admission would have knocked her off her feet.

"So, how does a retired LaPush Wolf end up in Tiny Town, Montana?"

Leaning forward as though he were imparting a great secret, a hint of wolfish devilment gleamed in Jacob's eyes, despite the overtly serious-not to mention secret-nature of their conversation. "I ran across it. Literally."

"Paws or feet?"

"Paws.

"And you stayed?" she questioned.

Jacob nodded slowly. "Yeah. Sort of. It's a longish story."

"I like your stories," she stated by way of encouragement, wanting to know how the boy had become the man sitting across the fire. There had already been too much separation in their lives, starting from the time Renee uprooted her to Phoenix, until now. Bella was determined there wouldn't be anymore.

"Aren't you tired?" he hedged, not sure if he was ready for this conversation, but Bella waved him off.

"As if I could sleep." That definitely wasn't happening anytime soon. The day had taken its toll, but adrenaline coursed through her weary body like a high. "Besides, you're the one who said he was going to keep his best friend up all night," she reminded him.

"Okay," he agreed, settling deep into the soft cushions of the sofa. "You remember when I took off?"

"The wedding invitation ..." Three words that hit like a knife.

"Yeah, then." The smile faded instantly from her face, causing him to sigh heavily.

"Back in the days when you were set to become the modern version of Dracula's bride and I was the broken-hearted, sulky shapeshifter, this was one of the places I passed through."

Jacob's expression darkened. "You're human," he stated. It was a fact, but still. "I mean, I knew you were. I think I would have known the second it happened if you'd changed, and since Charlie had gone to visit a couple times and you being in Florida with all that sun ..." he trailed, shaking his head. "I guess, seeing it with my own eyes is something else."

Bella took a deep breath. There were so many things she wanted to say. Things she'd promised herself that if they ever crossed paths again would not be left unspoken. But, before she could open her mouth to speak, Jacob cast his eyes on the fire and continued the story.

"I'd been gone about two months when I stumbled into town. Didn't have a cent on me, and the clothes on my back had seen better days. Anyway, I'd come in, barefoot, not looking much better than a hobo. Walked into the service station you're parked at and asked I could make a phone call. The couple running the place took me for a hiker and I wasn't about to argue. Told them a bear got at my campsite and I'd been wandering around lost for days. Must have really looked the part, because those folks took care of me. Old lady behind the counter took a shine to me, saying she could tell a nice young man when she saw one. It took her all of two minutes to call up the local church. Next thing I knew, I was sitting at her kitchen table, clean, dry, new clothed and eating the first square meal I'd had in months. She and her husband were real nice people. Anyway, I stuck around for a week or so, did some odd jobs as thanks and went on my way. Wasn't ready to go home yet, but it felt good to be an ordinary human again."

"When you finally came back, I was already gone." Bella stated it as the fact it was. About a week after she'd arrived in Florida, a phone call came from Charlie to say Jacob had come home. No details, just that he was alive and safe. For that, she had been thankful.

"Something like that." He wanted to say more, but didn't. The last memory he had of her wasn't through the minds of his pack mates, but his own. A scene viewed from the edge of the forest, tucked out of sight.

Staring into the flames, Jacob thought about a long ago, rainy and cold day in September. She'd been sitting on a fallen larch, tucked beneath the canopy, weeping openly. It had been so tempting to reveal himself, but the wounds across his heart had held him back. He wanted to punish her. The decision had haunted him many times, as had her departure with the Cullen's despite the fact that she never married into their family.

"I heard you left with them."

"Didn't have a choice, really. It was safer to keep me guarded. Rose and Emmett took me for a while, and Alice kept watch." Bella shivered, remembering the constant fear she'd known in those days, always living on the fringes, ready to run. The Volturi could have taken her life on a whim. There were so many things she could not forgive the Cullen family for. Placing a seventeen-year-old girl in that kind of danger was one of them. The damage they'd all done was insurmountable, but what Edward had done to Jacob was unforgivable.

"Jake, that invitation, I hope you'll believe me when I say that I had nothing to do with it. That was all Edward. Nothing had been mailed yet. I never even knew he'd taken one." Bella paused for a minute, tears from the old hurt threatening to rip her open. These were things she hadn't thought about in years. Things she didn't let herself think about.

Blowing out a breath, Jacob looked directly into her eyes. His voice was firm, its edges laced with anger and regret. Ten years ... and the sting of defeat still lingered. "I knew it wasn't your fault. Hell, I couldn't even smell you on the paper, and believe me, I tried."

"It was cruel, what he did to you ... to us. The funny thing is that I wasn't even hurt by it. I was angry! Don't get me wrong, I did hurt, but I hurt for you and me and the idea that we'd never see each other again."

"I heard you and Charlie practically papered Washington State with missing person flyers. Amazing my face didn't end up on the side of a milk carton."

"Oh, the thought crossed my mind," she replied, managing a small laugh. "Dad wanted to call 'America's Most Wanted'. That was a battle royale between him and Billy, believe you me," she stated, recalling pitched fits of cussing and slamming doors around the house. "They didn't speak or fish together for months."

"You know, I think that's the first time since we were little kids that I've heard you call Charlie 'Dad'."

Jacob cringed, sucking in a breath when she held up her left wrist, decorated by an ugly silver scar. Puckered skin perfectly shaped in a half moon, an immortal atrocity committed to human flesh.

"When you have a daily reminder of what you almost lost, a lot of things change."

It was a heavy statement to make. Tears clogged Bella's throat, and she tried to remember how to breathe. All the hurt, anger, mistrust, confusion, heartache and broken pieces of her soul, coalesced into one terrific knot in the pit of her stomach. Eyes closed, she counted to ten, then began to speak.

"There aren't enough words for all the things I want to say. 'Sorry' doesn't begin to cover it. I look back at that time in my life, and it doesn't even feel like me. I want to grab that girl, shake her, scream, beat her senseless. I wish I could explain the way I felt back then. The enormity of my pain ... Jacob it was so much more than teenage angst. It was more than just depression. I'm not trying to make any excuses. I was selfish. What I put you through. I was-"

"Young, Bells. You were young," he interjected. "So was I. The truth is, we were kids in a bad situation. I mean, come on! You were running around with vampires and I'd turned into a werewolf. If a stranger heard us talking about this shit we'd be fitted for straight jackets! How were either of us supposed to deal with all that?" Jacob shook his head. Back in LaPush, this kind of thing felt normal. A little too normal. It was half of why he'd moved.

There was true sadness in Bella's eyes, when she spoke, pouring out all that was in her heart. "You meant so much to me, and when I was finally feeling halfway normal again, he came back. It was euphoric. The only thing I can compare it to is a drug addiction. I had to be with him. I had to be near him. I couldn't let him leave me behind. The pull was too strong. As much as I needed you, I wanted him, and as much I needed him, I wanted you. Does that make any sense?"

"You were seventeen, Bells. Who makes the right choice at that age? Neither one of us made it easy for you. Granted, I didn't pull the battery out of your truck, but if I could have stopped you from seeing him, I probably would have. It all worked out okay in the end. You're alive." Jacob smiled mischievously. "Besides, I kinda won. You didn't marry the leech."

"No. I didn't. But I do regret that I drove you away and -"

Jacob cut her off. "Look, there are things I have to be sorry for too. I wasn't exactly acting out of pure intentions. I was a testosterone fueled teen wolf with a massive crush. I won't lie. I loved you. Maybe in a misguided way, but I did love you. What I didn't understand back then was that you can't force someone to love you back."

He eyed her speculatively. Certainly, she'd changed, and being a vamp was no longer a consideration. "As far as Edward is concerned, I don't think you could have let him go. Vampires are enticing. It's a predatory instinct and you were his prey. I heard Billy and Old Quil one night, talking it over. They wanted to figure out some way to help you, but it wasn't in their power. Short of kidnapping you, there wasn't anything we could do. You're right about it being like an addiction. After he left, you were detoxing. Sure, he said a lot of shit that hurt, and leaving you in the woods like that was no picnic. It was a dick move. The thing is, all of it hit harder because of what he is."

"He told me that once, you know. Edward, I mean." Bella took a long drink of her soda, emptying what was left in the can. _So much talking, so many demons_. "When I first figured out what he was, I should have been terrified, but maybe that was all part of it too. 'Everything about me invites you in', she quoted, 'My voice, my face, even my smell. I'm designed to kill.' He even called me his own personal brand of heroin. God, Jake, I look back at that time and it feels so surreal. Like I was under some sort of witchy spell."

"In a way you were. Frankly, it's a miracle your mind didn't completely crack. It's happened before. There are accounts in our archives, stories and legends passed down from other tribes, of humans who became real-life Mr. Renfield's. Honestly, Bells, that's why you don't need to fully apologize for it all. Sure, some of it was your own stupidity, but a lot of it was supernatural bullshit, and I'm not the only one who thinks so."

"Well, that makes going home a bit more comfortable." She felt both relieved and surprised to hear it put that way.

The truth is, I would have left the reservation eventually. That life, it was too much for me to handle. Sam, my dad, the council, they all wanted me to take my place as Alpha. They wanted me to become something I hated. Don't get me wrong, I had a lot of pride in what we did and who I was, but inside, I wanted to keep being a kid. I wanted to fix cars, eat pizza after school, go out on dates and goof off with my friends. I couldn't do that and be a wolf too."

"But you went back."

"I did," he replied. "Stuck around for a few years, but it wasn't working. Rach and Paul were living with us, and it was like tiptoeing around a stick of dynamite all the time. Besides, as long as I stayed on the reservation, I knew I'd never get to be me. I wanted something simpler. I needed to be done living a lie," he confessed.

"How did the pack take it when you left?"

"About like you'd expect. Half of them were mad. Quil and Embry understood, Jared and Kim too. I think they all would leave if they could. Jared and Kim come out to visit from time to time. I wouldn't be surprised to see them pull up stakes one day and move out here. It's tough to get out from under Sam's thumb-at least for them it is."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes." Jacob glanced at the picture of his pack brothers wistfully, almost hearing their laughter, and feeling the strength of the bond they'd all shared. Those were the things he missed. Family, a brotherhood.

Outside, the storm had abated. The fire was dying, and sleep was heavy Jacob's skin. "I think that's far enough down memory lane for one night. Let's put the past where it belongs and catch some sleep," he suggested, standing and reaching out for her hand.

Gratefully, Bella took it, finding comfort and forgiveness in the warmth of a hug.


	4. Chapter 4

**_I have given up. Chapters will be whatever length they are. Thank you all for reading, and for so much positive feedback! I'm glad you're enjoying this nugget of sweetness._**

Chapter 4: Poker Face

 _It was stupid. I knew it was stupid. This wasn't some sort of wild animal show where people baited spots wired with trail cams in hopes to catch a glimpse of forest predators. This was real life-albeit a supernatural one._

 _The thing was, I just knew they were out there. Embry and Quil, that is. Even though the pack wasn't watching over me anymore, the two of them had been by my house. I saw them. Why, I wasn't exactly sure. Maybe it was to show Jacob I was still alive. Or maybe, they were spoiling for a fight with the Cullens._

 _Whatever the case, I missed them almost as much as I missed Jacob._

 _I never realized what a lonely existence was until the pack had unceremoniously removed itself from my life. Not that I blamed them. Under the circumstances, it wasn't just necessary. It was no better than I deserved._

 _Spending time around them was like being part of one big family. A loud, obnoxious, nosy but well-intentioned family. Something I'd never had before. They hugged, yelled, fought, laughed, and made me feel like I was part of it all. Esme and Carlisle were welcoming, but it wasn't the same. Everything was so stiff and cold with them. I wanted more. I wanted mismatched harmony and mischief._

 _The truth was, I missed the pack. I missed hiding in Jacob's garage while my dad and Billy drank and played poker. I missed Embry and Quil barging in, big as life and twice as loud. Quil, always the practical joker, and Em, pulling the rug out from under him on the sly. Jacob, waving a wrench, threatening to kick both their asses. Then the three of them deciding it was time to eat, all on their knees making puppy dog eyes and begging me to cook something because 'wolves can't survive on muffins alone'._

 _I missed the camaraderie._

 _It was why I'd woken up so early, and started pulling ingredients from the cupboards in a frenzy. Even if they wouldn't sit down at a table for me, it didn't mean that I couldn't still feed them. While a breakfast casserole cooked in the oven, I flipped pancakes on the stove-top, piling them high and slathering them with butter until the countertop started to resemble some kind of pioneer breakfast._

 _When everything was cooked, and the refrigerator was all but empty, I carried it all to the edge of the forest, wading in just deep enough where prying eyes couldn't see. Then I went back to the house and waited. For what I wasn't sure. Eventually, I left. The house was devoid of groceries, and sitting around wasn't going to pass the time any faster._

 _When I got home, the empty pans were sitting on the back porch, licked clean._

 _My tears melted into the dishwater._

 _Bella - September 2006_

Awake with the dawn, Jacob lay still as a mouse. Draped halfway across his chest was the girl he'd loved since age fifteen, although if he thought about it, that had started on the day he was was born. If ever two people in the world were meant to be together, it was he and Bella Swan. By his way of thinking, her ending up in his bar wasn't some sort of fluke accident. Destiny was giving them a wake up call. It had been inevitable. Their paths would continue to cross, until one day, the timing would finally be right. Why couldn't that now? Why not here in this place? There was nothing and nobody to stop it from happening.

It was sheer luck that landed her in his bed last night. Jacob had guided the sleepy girl up the stairs, directly into his room. ' _I hope this is okay. There's no spare set up, and the loveseat is too small for either one of us. I promise not to be the big bad wolf, Little Red.'_ If Bella had any reservations, it didn't show. Laughing, she collapsed on the bed and and asked if he'd forgotten how cold her toes could be.

Jacob hadn't. In fact, he was counting on it.

The wolf inside him was curled contentedly, as if this were the way things should be. There was a rightness to Bella being snug beneath his arm, the slow, even beat of her heart fluttering lightly against his chest. It crossed Jacob's mind to go back to sleep, but he wanted to live in this moment, absorb every detail, and commit it to memory, in case a tomorrow for them would never come.

On the other side of the coin, that same wolf, which he had suppressed for so many years now, was clawing at the surface to get out. It wanted to mate, and the tent his dick had created with the bed sheets would be an embarrassing way to say 'Good Morning'.

With great reluctance, and massive self-restraint, Jacob crawled wearily from the bed.

About an hour later, Bella appeared. Framed by the white doorway, she cut a pretty picture, all legs, wearing his shirt, hair a messy halo of tangled curls. Bare feet, tipped in pretty pink, padded across the old checkerboard floor. Jacob's heart skipped a beat when Bella's arms wrapped tightly around his waist, resting one cheek against his chest, practically melting into his flesh.

Eyes closed, a soft smile and weak yawn parted her lips. "I smelled coffee."

"Mmmhmm. You'll have to wait for breakfast though."

"That's okay. I need the fork to prop my eyelids open."

"We stayed up late" he offered by way of an excuse.

"It's not just that. All the driving yesterday ..." Yawning again, mid-sentence, reluctantly letting go of Jacob, the need for caffeine taking precedence. "I was on the road by four in the morning," she explained, zeroing in on the coffee pot like a homing beacon.

"Speaking of, I called over to E&D to see about your Jeep," he informed her, while dropping slices of bread into the toaster. "They'll be here in a bit for your keys. I asked for the lock to be shimmied and your suitcase delivered. Hope you don't mind."

"You're the best. Thanks," she said, "for saving my ass. Again."

The toaster popped, and Jacob waved a butter knife at her in response, as though rescues were no big thing when breakfast was waiting. "You're welcome. Again."

Greedily inhaling the thick coffee, Bella was thankful for the comfortable silence while trying to shake the mental fog clouding her brain. Jacob seemed to be just as content with the situation, buttering slices of toast in between hefty gulps from his own oversize mug of joe. Whatever chasm which might have existed between them in past vanished with the storm. But, it had always been their way to lay it on the table, and for better or worse, move on.

It felt good to be sitting at the little round table. The kitchen was a little worn, having a lived in feel, and it was obvious that some of the tile work had been installed back in the nineteen-fifties, yet, it had charm. Bella could almost see it restored to its original polish, right down to a chrome bedecked stove and refrigerator. It was obvious that Jacob had been slowly making over the house, but this room reminded her of home. Of days spent in both the Swan and Black kitchens, cooking to feed the men in her young life.

"Jake, how far off the map am I?"

The question nearly made him drop the butter knife. Bella had just reappeared in his life, and he'd already been mentally calculating all the ways to make her stick around a while. "Not as much as you'd think," he answered slow and cautious. "You can make it to Forks in a day, depending on how many hours you're willing to log behind the wheel."

Before there was time to consider it, a loud clamor echoed on the porch, and a familiar voice called through the house.

"Hey Jake! I grabbed that stuff like you said. Funny thing, I could have sworn it smelled like ..."

The intruder froze for a second, stunned as if he'd seen a ghost. "Bella?"

"Embry!" Bella flew from her seat, knocking over a chair in the process. "Oh my God! Em!" She shouted, leaping at the man. Her little arms wrapped around his chest, somehow making their way up around his neck, giving an entirely new meaning to the phrase, 'climb him like a tree'.

Much like his friend the night before, Embry froze in place, tensing until the unmistakable human warmth of her body flooded his senses. With profound relief and gladness, the once shape-shifting wolf embraced the girl, swinging her around in a tight hug. With the backdrop of Jacob's kitchen, and trees in the distance, it was almost like being home again.

After recovering his wits, Embry held his old friend out at arm's length, assessing and approving the way time had changed a young girl into a woman. "What the devil are you doing here?"

"Running out of gas in a storm on my way to Forks." Bella waved one arm in a sweeping gesture. "You know, the usual. Damsel in distress. Having you two save my ass again."

"Charlie's birthday bash?" he asked.

"Fifty-years-old, but hell if he'll admit it."

"Sounds about right. Damn it's good to see you!" he reiterated, still disbelieving after all this time she stood in front of them ...heart still beating.

Behind them, someone cleared their throat. Grinning like a child caught with a secret, Embry tossed an arm around a tall, blonde woman with attractive blue eyes. "Diane, I'd like you to meet a long lost friend. This is Isabella Swan."

" _The Isabella Swan_?" Still smiling, Diane's lips parted in surprise. Over the years, Jacob had spoken of her so frequently, that she felt as if she already knew the strange woman standing in his kitchen.

"She's heard of me?"

"Diane knows _everything_ ," Embry replied, with emphasis. There were no secrets between them. No edict to be followed. His life was his own.

" _Everything_?" she questioned.

"Yup. All the dirty details. Muddy paws, leeches, imprints and vamp girls and wolf girls."

"Well, okay then," she laughed, slightly taken aback. Jacob hadn't mentioned an imprint. "Please, call me Bella, everyone does. Well, everyone except Jake, that is, and my Dad."

Diane greeted her with a welcoming embrace. "It's wonderful to finally meet you. I've been telling Em to find out where you're living so we could send you an invitation."

Bella's brow furrowed with confusion, trying to figure out what it was she'd missed.

"Our wedding," supplied Embry. "This September. I expect you to be there."

"Although I have no idea why she agreed to marry your ugly ass," Jake interjected, mournfully shaking his head while trying to suppress a smile. "I tried to talk some sense into the girl, but she just doesn't listen." He looked pointedly at Bella. "Reminds me of someone else I know."

"Black, I can't help it if the ladies love me," Embry apologized, helping himself to the toast off his buddy's plate. "Bees to honey, man. Bees to honey."

"You sound like Quil," Jacob scoffed, yanking his plate out of reach before losing what was left of his breakfast.

"More like lice clinging to fur." The insult passed her lips faster than her brain could stop it. Word vomit, popping up again. Before an apology could be made, laughter shook the kitchen ceiling.

"Bella Swan!" Embry exclaimed, grinning wickedly from ear to ear. "When did you become so well-versed in the fine art of smart-assery?

"When I started running around with wolves. Come on, did you really think I could spend that much time around Paul and pick up a thing or two?"

"Bells was always been a wise-ass," Clarified Jacob, as if it were common knowledge. "You were just too slow to pick up on it. She's Charlie's daughter. Comes by it naturally."

"Well, shit," he conceded. "I'm gonna have to get to know you all over again."

Diane, who had been silent thus far, approved of the way Bella had so wittingly put Embry in his place without batting an eye, even if it was in jest. This woman had a sense of humor, and despite rumors to the contrary, a backbone too, or so it seemed. This, coupled with the fact that intuition told her they'd be spending a lot of time together in the future, made Diane eager to get to know her.

"So Bella, how long are you in town for?"

"That depends on when these two goons decide to release my Jeep," she explained. "I only ran out of gas, but if I know these guys ..."

Sitting straight up in his seat, Embry became more businesslike than a suit in a shark tank. "I'm very sorry, ma'am, but the shop is closed. It will take at least another day after that before I can have your vehicle ready," he stated, as though she'd blown out a head-gasket or torn a hole in the gas tank.

"That long, huh?" she replied, hiding a smile behind the coffee mug.

"At a minimum."

"Just do me one favor," she pleaded. "No souping up the engine. It's a rental."

"A rental?" He spat the word as though it were anathema to his soul. "Then you're going to have to give us three days, minimum. Those agencies don't bother to check anything other than the oil and gas." Then, leaning forward as if imparting a great secret, Embry's dark eyes twinkled with mischief. "Can't have you breaking down in the middle of nowhere. There's been rumors of monsters in the woods."

Being a good sport, Bella clutched her heart in mock fear, then peered around the kitchen, eyes wide as saucers. "Oh, no! Not that!"

"I'm sure you two goons were the biggest ones," accused Diane, swatting her man upside the back of the head.

"Naturally," agreed Jacob, while pouring another cup of coffee, trying to act nonchalant about wanting her to stay. "Seriously, Bella. Pigeon Creek is a cool little town. Plus, the Founders Festival is going on today. Should have been yesterday, but severe storms put the brakes on it. Stick around. You'll have fun.

"Well, since my Jeep isn't road-worthy," she conceded, "I guess there's no choice but to attend."

"Speaking of," Diane rose from the table having noticed the time on. "I should go help with set up, and you boys need to take a run. I can see how wound up the two of you are. Besides, I'm sure the blue-haired ladies in Mabel's Diner are checking their watches, wondering why the eye-candy hasn't jogged past yet. Go give 'em their weekly thrill."

Nodding, Embry too, got up to leave, but not before he wheedled one more request out of their old friend. "Hey Bella, do you remember that breakfast casserole you used to make for me and Quil?"

"Yes."

"Wait, back up." Jacob who had been reaching for his running shoes, straightened up, holding out both hands motioning all to stop, calling to account this new piece of information. "You made Embry and Quil food?"

"Well, yeah. They'd been outside all night," she explained, as if it were a no-brainer. "Feeding them in the morning was the least I could do."

"You never made me a breakfast casserole," he pointed out, shoving out his lower lip like a five-year-old denied a sucker.

Bella stuck out her tongue, and smacked his stomach playfully. "Quit pouting, Black. I fed your bottomless pit plenty of times."

"If we bring all the groceries, do you think you could make it again, pretty please? With sprinkles on top."

"Beggar. Of course I will."

 **oooOOOooo**

They'd barely gotten two blocks when Embry managed to huff out the obvious.

"So... Bella's back."

"She's not back." While it killed Jacob Black to admit this tiny fact, it was the truth. "We're not even back. This is Pigeon Creek, not LaPush."

"You know what I mean, Jake. I didn't smell any vamp stench, so I'm guessing she's been clear of them for a while." While their senses had pretty much faded to normal, they were still better than any human, and some scents left a lasting memory, like Edward-sparkledick-Cullen.

"Ten years." Even breathing heavy, Jacob managed to supply the information with a smile, which disappeared quickly with the next bit of news. "The wolf's awake."

"I can tell." Embry figured as much by the way Jake was jogging this morning. Strained, like he was holding back. The way his eyes flicked to the mountains, Embry knew it was taking everything the man had not to run for cover and prance around on four paws.

"Is she single?"

"Looks that way. I never really asked. Didn't come up, I guess."

"Uh huh, so where'd she crash last night? I didn't see any blankets on the couch, and there's only one bed in your house."

While his stone cold silence was deafening, the color rising on his cheeks was not. Stopped at an intersection, Embry cut in front of Jacob, continuing to jog in place. "I see. So ...,"

"So, nothing. Nothing happened. We slept."

"Jake, man, let me get his straight. The girl you've been sportin' a hard-on for most of your life gets between the sheets with you, and nothin' happens? Dude, you feelin' okay? If your junk ain't workin' right, they've got meds for that, y'know."

"Shut-up, Call."

 **oooOOOooo**

Jacob shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying not to be obvious about the fact that his fly was about to burst open wider than the Grand Canyon. Yet the pointed looks he was getting from Embry proved it to be a failing effort.

Ever since he'd gotten back from their run, the damn wolf was ready to pounce, and for good reason. Bella had been dancing in front of the stove, singing along with the old radio, humming through the words she didn't know. Whether knowingly or not, she'd staked a claim in the kitchen.

 _Ours. Food. Mate._ Thousands of years of animal instinct rose to the surface.

On impulse, he walked up behind her, careful not to press his sweaty chest against her clean clothes, and dropped a light kiss on her cheek.

"Good run?" she'd asked.

"Mmmhmm," he replied, trying not to be obvious that he was once more breathing her in. "Something smells good."

It wasn't the food cooking. The wolf whined, wanting to wrap itself around her fully-preferably naked-and scent her.

"Go shower. I'll have this ready in an hour."

That morning marked the coldest, longest shower in the history of mankind. It hadn't done a lick of good. Things had only gotten harder ... literally.

Within five minutes of Embry and Diane's arrival, Jacob wanted to see their departure. With every shaking laugh came the subtle scent of perfume. The reach of an arm for salt and pepper made the neckline of her shirt dip. It wasn't enough to sit there with one arm slung casually around Bella's shoulders. When one delicate hand came to rest on Jacob's thigh, he thought he'd explode. Which part of him, wolf or dick, he wasn't certain. Maybe both.

"We need to head out soon," he'd declared, unable to take any more. "You girls go freshen up. We'll clean up the mess."

As soon as both women were out of earshot, were out of earshot, Embry shot his best friend a shit-eating grin. "Having a _hard time,_ Black?

"Shut-up, asshole."

 **oooOOOooo**

Compared the one before it, the day was beautiful. Blue skies, and the air coming off the mountains was still cool in early summer. Mild enough for jeans, but warm enough for a t-shirt. While the town was small enough town that a body could walk from one end to the other in a short amount of time, Jacob didn't feel like walking. Instead, he'd opted to drive them over on the motorcycle. The look on Bella's face had been worth it, when he backed the monster out of the garage. It wasn't the old Sprint of their youth. That was still back in his father's shed, likely rusting away from lack of care. The one he rode now had been a gift to himself after the bar took off and was doing well. Something to cruise comfortably around the mountains on.

It was also an excuse to have her pressed against him.

The main street of Pigeon Creek was wider than normal roads, its original purpose having been for driving cattle through the mountain valley. Today, the cobbled road was filled with people, and it seemed Jacob knew most of them. Every few feet, Bella was being introduced to somebody or another, smiling for all she was worth, thankful she needn't remember all their names.

Much to Bella's surprise, she found the town charming. The downtown area complete contrast to the single stoplight and menagerie of gas stations Forks offered up. Flag themed bunting hung from old-fashioned storefronts, most of which dated back to the early days of the town. There was a sense of permanence to the place, which she found refreshing compared to the constant big city construction of Chicago.

All around was a crush of color, set against aged red-brick and wood. Pies and cookies adorned old-fashioned checked tablecloths, and bright-faced children raced around with balloons in one hand and coronets of ice cream in the other. It was the kind of small town for which songs were written. America at its finest. Everyone knew their neighbors and nobody had to lock their doors. Church bells rang on Sundays, holidays, for weddings and funerals. Any moment now, Sheriff Andy Taylor could walk around the corner holding a strawberry soda-pop in one hand and fishing pole in the other. It was impossible not to join in on the merriment.

"I wish I'd brought a camera!" she told Diane, having caught up with her and Embry near the beer tent. "This place is amazing."

"Don't worry about it. You'll have plenty of opportunity this fall when you come back to photograph our wedding."

Grinning at the prospect, she was already planning for the event, and considering locations. "Sounds like I'll be clearing some time in my schedule."

"Seriously, we'd love to have you." Now that Bella had reappeared in their lives, Embry couldn't imagine not having her there. She'd always been a good sort, well, at least when Edward Cullen and his creepy oija board sister weren't around. That duo had managed to extinguish whatever fire she had in one fell swoop. But now, this woman sitting across from them, all pink-cheeked and vibrant... seeing her made all the fighting and supernatural bullshit worthwhile. At least in Embry's mind it did. Not everyone back home felt the same way. _I hope the pack isn't shitty while she's in Forks._ The thought crossed his mind that things would be easier if he or Jacob tagged along, but that was an impossible visit for either man to make.

Ten minutes had passed since Jacob volunteered to grab a round, and Bella was feeling antsy. A cursory glance found him standing under the tent, knee-deep in conversation with an incredibly beautiful woman. Bella couldn't help but notice the intimate way in which his hand rested on her shoulder, just as much as she couldn't help the jealousy rising in her breast when when he leaned in to drop a kiss on the same woman's cheek. Yet, it was the smile which did it. When Jacob gave away that million watt signature smile to another girl, like a two-year-old she wanted to stomp and scream, _'Hey, that's mine!'_

Their roles had been reversed. Suddenly, feeling quite small in her size sixes, she knew exactly how it must have been for Jacob to see her with Edward.

 _I'm the past_ , she reminded herself. _There are bound to be women-lots of women-who want his attention. This is his world. I'm just a visitor._

Wondering what had caused her to suddenly look crestfallen, Embry and Diane followed her eyes to where Jacob was talking with Tally, his seasonal bartender. Both wanted to smack him upside the head. They, along with everyone else in the vicinity knew the gesture was completely innocent, but being an outsider, Bella Swan did not. Furthermore, the cheeky little-kiss-kiss after a morning of blatant flirting made him look like a player.

 _It's none of my business_ , Bella thought. _He's attractive, and young. So what if he acted all flirty with me? That's just the way we are together._ Even if all those things were true, it still stung.

Closing her eyes for a brief second to center herself, and pasting on the biggest smile she could muster, Bella focused all of her attention on the future Mr. & Mrs. Call. They deserved joy, not her heartache. "I wouldn't miss it for the world! However, take a look at some samples first. Make sure my style is what you want. If it is, then consider it a wedding gift. Either way, I'm bringing my dancing shoes."

"Uh oh." A shadow fell across the table, in the form of Jacob Black, arms loaded down with beers for everyone.

"What do you mean, uh oh?" Bella had the decency to be indignant, but the ugly bruise on her thigh from falling into a puddle the night before screamed that her middle name definitely wasn't Grace. Across the table, Embry was snickering and Diane looked perplexed.

"We'll need an ambulance on standby," he cautioned, unable to resist the urge to tease. "Little Miss. Swan here, is extremely uncoordinated. This is an accident looking for a place."

Bella hooked one brow, squared up her shoulders and fixed a hard glare across her face. "I'll have you know that I'm a hella of a good dancer."

"Yeah?" Jacob challenged this by way of holding out one hand as invitation. "Prove it."

But instead of taking it, she reached for Embry instead. "Come on, cupcake, let's go cut a rug."

The pair flitted off, he doing an exaggerated version of the Uptown Funk with so much aplomb it should be outlawed, dragging shrieking Bella behind him.

It was part of why Diane both loved and agreed to marry him. The man had an enormous propensity for hilarity with absolutely no shame or embarrassment. Whether it was shaking that fine ass, or dragging her out the door at five in the morning for 'adventures', as he called them, Embry Call had an zest for life that was unmatched. How could she not love a man like that? Or have infinite patience for his antics.

On the other hand, whatever patience she had for Jake had just run out.

"What did I do?" he exclaimed, clueless as to why Diane had gone from jubilant to menacing in two seconds flat. The evil eye she was handing out was more unnerving than all the bloodthirsty red ones he'd encountered as a wolf.

"Black, you're a damn idiot." When the statement was received with nothing but a blank stare, she elaborated. "Bella saw you with Tally."

"So?" Shrug. More confusion, earning a well-deserved eyeroll.

"So, she doesn't know that Tally is married."

"You mean she was jealous?"

Diane clucked in sheer exasperation. "It's no wonder! _Oh, Tal! You're so wonderful! Let me smooch you on the cheek! Mwah, mwah!'"_

Laughing at the impression depicting him as as Pigeon Creek's resident Don Juan, Jacob thought Diane was overreacting. Bella couldn't be jealous. That was always his role in their weird love triangle. It was absurd. If there was one thing Bella knew, it was that he loved her. Always. End of story. Even if he hadn't recently expressed his undying devotion, it was a given.

"Look, the rest of us might be used to seeing how all the women act as if they're vying for the rose ceremony on The Bachelor, but Bella isn't. By the way you two have been flirting with each other all morning, I'd say that girl has every right to be jealous." Diane wagged another finger at him in disgust. "Oh, and don't think I haven't noticed that you wanted to go all 'Captain Caveman' earlier and drag her into the bedroom. If it were me, I'd be mad enough to club you over the head to knock some sense into that thick skull."

" _Fuck._ " Jacob wanted Bella in his life. The last twenty-four hours had proved that the torch he carried for her still burned bright. She'd even flirted today, crossing every invisible line drawn since Cullen dick-sparkled his way into their budding romance eleven years ago.

"How do I fix this?" Relationships definitely weren't his area of expertise, and even at twenty-seven, women remained a mystery yet to be solved.

"First of all, you're going to dance with her and find some way to explain. Second, you need to do something special for that girl. The two of you may not be dating, but it's obvious to anyone in a fifty-mile radius that you're in a relationship." Diane adored Jacob Black, she really did, but if he screwed this up ... from what Embry had told her, the man wouldn't be fit to live with for months. Maybe it was just their established familiarity, she didn't know. Whatever it was, clearly they both needed to at the very least, give things a try.

He looked so much like a lovesick puppy that she softened a bit. "I've known you from the first day you sent foot in this town. If there is one thing I have learned about you over the years, it's how much you care for that woman. Even if I didn't know the story, it would still be written all over your face ... and hers, for that matter. For whatever divine reason, Bella Swan ran out of gas and turned up in your bar. That means something. If you let this chance slip through your fingers, you might as well kiss her goodbye."

Having always worn his heart on his sleeve when it came to Bells, Jacob decided to go all in. There was no point in running a bluff. Life wasn't a game of poker. Then, the corners of his mouth tugged in a grin. "You really think she was jealous?"

"Try not to look so smug about it."

The wolf preened, and the teenage boy inside fist pumped.

 **oooOOOooo**

Bella was laughing. She couldn't help it. Embry's enthusiasm was infectious. The band had launched into a medley of oldies but goodies, and it seemed as if he knew every dance. Embry swam, twisted and mashed potatoed until she couldn't take it anymore. It was like a sock-hop on acid. Any minute now he was liable to line everyone up and break-out in The Madison.

Blessing the band for finally slowing the tempo, Bella relaxed a little. Then, out of the corner of her eye, caught a glimpse of the woman Jacob had been talking to earlier. "Em, who's that girl?"

Embry didn't bother to look. Didn't need to. "He still only sees you, Bella. Even after all these years." Then, whispering softly, he spoke from experience. "It's no accident that you're here. Some things are meant to be."

The steps of the dance changed, and twirling around, she all but smacked into Jacob's chest. Stepping into his embrace was automatic. Moving her feet was not. Bella could sum up her emotions in one word. Nervous. Suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious, she was reduced to the awkward swaying found in high school gyms around the world. At any moment, she was sure to step on his toes or trip over air.

"Bells, look at me." It was such a soft request, but somewhere was the undertone of a command, forcing her to look upon his face. "Don't leave tomorrow." When she didn't respond, he inclined his head toward the makeshift bar. "Tally. She agreed to pick up extra hours for me this week."

"I ... Dad ..."

Jacob smiled at her inability to get the words out, knowing he still affected her just as much as she affected him.

"When I was fifteen, I fell in love with a girl. She was all I wanted. All I dreamed of."

Jacob's voice was thick and unabashed with raw emotion, entreating her not to leave ... not even to move from the very spot in which they swayed quietly to the music. Whatever thoughts Bella might have had about going anywhere anytime soon, floated away on the breeze. In that moment, there was nothing she'd deny him.

"Bells ... ." A current of electricity. A thousand tiny sparks. Bella felt each one when Jacob's fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

For the first time in ten long years, Bella looked deep into eyes of hope. Cafe Noir. Richer than heartwood, stronger than time, and she was lost. They drew her in, just as surely as his touch.

His lips brushed against her cheek, and then, in the softest whisper. "You're still all I see. It's always been you."

Jacob kissed her, achingly slow, long and tender, with all the devotion of a lost love coming home.

Bella knew she wouldn't be leaving. Not for several days.

 **Yes, I know. You're wondering why neither of them will go back to Washington. I'll get to it, I promise.**


End file.
